Foot apparatus



Jan 20,1970 I G. OGDEN I 3,490,453

FOOT APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 21, 1963 FIG. I.

FIG. 3.

FIG. 4.

GEORGE OGDEN INVENTOR WWW ATTORNEY present invention.

United States Patent US. Cl. 128-260 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to a foot apparatus and, more particularly, to an elongated member formed of resilient foam and suitably impregnated with medicinal substance for being interlaced between the toes of the human foot.

This application is a continuation of my patent applications Ser. No. 317,721, filed Oct. 21, 1963 and Ser. No.- 629,847, filed Mar. 1, 1967, both now abandoned.

Because modern man has adopted the practice of wear- 7 ing stockings and shoes on his feet in a manner contrary to the condition intendedby nature, he tends to suffer from a number of disagreeable conditions. The area between the toes is particularly prone to the development of disagreeable. skin conditions. There is, for instance, the fungus disease known as. atbletes foot, but even in the absence of actual disease, the area between the toes is subject to discomfort, irritation, and odor. Attempts to alleviate these conditions present considerable difiiculty because of the fact that these areas are constantly in a moist condition due to the natural perspiration brought about by the enclosure of the foot in the shoe. These and other difiiculties experienced with the prior art procedures have been obviated in a .novel manner by the It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention .to provide a foot apparatus for bringing about the relief of'skin conditions between the toes.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a foot apparatus for promoting a favorable condition of dryness and antisepsis between the toes.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a foot apparatus for maintaining a medicinal, comfort-producing, hygienic, and air-circulating substance between the toes without danger of loss of material during the day.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a foot apparatus for maintaining skin treating substances and materials between the toes, which substances are constantly being renewed as .they are used by the treated area.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a foot apparatus for promoting a favorable skin condition between the toes, which apparatus will remain inplace and in operating position during the normal movements of the patient during the day.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by reference to one of its structural forms as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a foot apparatus embodying the principles of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the apparatus,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the apparatus taken on the line IIIIH of FIG. 2, and

3,490,453 Patented Jan. 20, 1970 FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken on the line IVIV of FIG. 2.

Referring first to FIG. 1 which best shows the general features of the invention, the foot apparatus, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, is shown in use with a human foot 11 having a big toe 12 and four small toes 13, 14, 15, and 16. The foot apparatus consists of an elongated member 17 formed of a soft, porous material adapted to be woven between the toes. The elongated member is provided with a substance for bringing about the relief of a skin condition between the toes. The ends of the elongated member 17 are provided with an adhesive attaching means 18 and 19 having an adhesive portion adapted to be pressed against the skin of the foot 11.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the elongated member is made up of three strands 21, 22, and 23 which are braided together in the well-known manner.

FIG. 4 shows the manner in which the three strands are related, each strand being made up of a length of foam rubber along which has been attached a strip 24 (in the case of the strand 21) of strengthening material, such as cloth tape, or the like.

The adhesive attaching means 19 is formed with a generally circular contact portion 25 to which is attached a T-shaped connecting portion 26. The connecting portion is provided (in the manner of a T) with a leg 27 whose free end is attached to the contact portion 25 and with two arms 28 and 29 which are wrapped around the end of the elongated member 17 and hold the strands 21, 22, and 23 in their braided condition. As is indicated in FIG. 3, the contact portion 25 of the adhesive attaching means consists of, first of all, a cloth tape 31 with an adhesive coating 32 on one side. This adhesive coating is of the well-known pressure-sensitive type. The entire adhesive attaching means, incidentally, including both the contact portion 25 and the connecting portion 26, are formed in this manner with a cloth-taped backing and an adhesive. However, only contact portion is provided with a layer of protective material 33 which, in the preferred embodiment, is gauze which overlies the adhesive coating 32 until such time as the apparatus is to be used. The arms 28 and 29 provided with the adhesive coating 32 but without the protective material 33 are wrapped around the end of the elongated member 17 during manufacture of the appartus. The adhesive not only holds the arms to the braid but also to each other. as is evident in the drawing. The adhesive attaching means 18 is exactly similar to the means 19 just described but, of course, is attached to the other end of the elongated member 17.

As has been stated above, the elongated member has been formed of a soft porous material which, in the preferred embodiment is foam rubber, but which may consist of any number of material, such as a flulfy cellulose material, cotton, wool, foamed synethic plastics, such as foamed polyethylene, foamed epoxy, or foamed polester. All these materials, however, have the quality of being soft and porous and able to hold a treating substance. This substance is selected according to the treatment to which the area between the toes is to be placed. In the case of a disease, such as a fungus, the substance would be medicinal and might consist of Whitfields ointment for the treatment of a fungus condition. The substance might be selected for comfort alone, in which case it might be cornstarch, zinc oxide, kaolin, or camphor. On the other hand, thesole consideration might be antiseptic conditions between the toes or hygienic conditions, in which case, the subsctance might be an antibiotic or even an antiseptic material, such as alcohol or various salts which have an anti-bacteriological action when in solution. On the other hand, if the odor is the only criterion, the substance might be hexachloraphene, or the like. In some instances, the treating substance may be combined with an artificial plastic before curing, so that the substances carried in the actual plastic itself rather than merely in the pores of the plastic.

The operation of the apparatus will now be readily understood in view of the above description. The elongated member is woven between the toes; for instance, one suitable arrangement 'would be for the adhesive attaching means to be attached to the foot above the base of the big toe 12 to be passed downwardly between the big toe 12 and the next toe 13, to extend under the toe 13, and then pass upward between the toe 13 and the toe 14. It then is passed over the toe 14, downwardly between the toe 14 and the toe 15, under the toe 15, and then extend upwardly between the toe 15 and the little toe 16. Then the protective material 33 is removed and the adhesive attaching means 19 pressed against the skin of the foot above the little toe, the user pulling tightly on the device to cause a tight woven condition between the toes and the elongated member 17. When properly applied, the foot apparatus will occupy very little room and will permit the use of stockings and shoes in the normal manner. In this way, the material, first of all, maintains the area between the toes in a dry condition because of its ability to absorb perspiration. At the same time, it releases the treating substance for medicinal comfort or hygienic purposes. Such a device could be worn for one full day and, when manufactured from inexpensive substances, would be disposable at the end of the day. I

It should be noted that the present invention is useful without medicinal impregnation in some cases of foot difliculty. When so used, the padding effect of the main body serves to separate the toes slightly and prevent rubbing or pressure on an irregularity that mayexist on one toe. It may even be used to correct a bone irregularity by the use of continuous pressure in'the same way that a tooth is straightened in orthodontics. I I

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, however, de sired to confine the invention to the axact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A foot apparatus, comprising:

(a) an elongated member braided from a plurality of strands of resilient foam plastic adapted to be woven between the toes, and

(b) a substance carried by the member for bringing about the relief of a skin condition.

2. A foot apparatus, comprising:

(a) an enlongated member of soft, porous material adapted to be woven between the toes,

(b) and adhesive attaching means consisting of a broad piece of cloth tape coated on one side with a pressure sensitive adhesive and a similar piece of thin protective material covering the adhesive until use, the adhesive attaching means connected to each end of the elongated member, the pieces of tape and protective material being of a generally circular form, the piece of tape being formed with a broad contact portion from one side of which extends a T-shaped connecting portion, wherein the free end of the leg of the T-shaped portion is connected to the contact portion, and wherein the arms of the T- shaped portion embrace the end of the elongated member, and

(c) a substance carried by the member for the promotion of skin health between the toes.

3. A foot apparatus, comprising:

(a) an elongated member of soft, porous material adapted to be woven between the toes, and

(b) an adhesive attaching means connected to each end of the elongated" member, each attaching means consisting of a broad piece of cloth tape coated on one side with a pressure sensitive adhesive and a similar piece of thin protective material covering the adhesive until use, the piece-of tape being formed with a broad contact portion from one side of which extends a T-shaped connecting portion, the free end of the leg of the T-shaped portion being connected to the contact portion, and the arms of the T-shaped I portion embracing the end of the elongated member.

4. A foot apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the said substance is a drying agent for bringing about the relief of a skin condition.

5. A foot apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the said substance is an odor-reducing agent carried by the member for bringing about the relief of a skin condition.

6. A foot apparatus, consisting of:

(a) an elongated member formed of a resilient foam material adapted to be woven between the toes, said member being very soft and bulky and being provided with substantial pores for providing a cushioning action between the toes, and

(b) a toe treating substance for bringing about the relief of a skin condition between the toes carried by said member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,354,770 8/1944 Patterson.

3,205,576 9/ 1965 Wallshein.

FOREIGN PATENTS 365,572 1932 Great Britain.

CHARLES F. ROSENBAUM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 128-8 1 i 

